'Twilight' definitely opened doors for him

ComingSoon.Net interviewed Kellan Lutz on the set of his latest film, 'Immortals.' Lutz portrays Poseidon in this epic mythological fantasy.

An excerpt:

Q: Can you tell us about the casting process and why you wanted to be cast?

Lutz: I read the script of this a while ago and I loved it, fell in love with it. At first auditioned for Ares, which I loved... they liked what I did, but they viewed Ares as taller, skinnier and more youthful, so I was really bummed because they didn't really release all the characters for this movie and then I was like, 'Okay, how about young Zeus?' But then they had rumored that Alex Skarsgård and his father were going to do young Zeus and older Zeus, so I was just really bummed. I wanted to play someone in this movie. I love mythology, grew up loving it. I'm a middle kid, big family, that's the thing you did in the farm country. [Laughs] I lived in Iowa, I loved mythology. I don't know, we're like that. But I also love Poseidon and I'm a Pieces, March 15th is my birthday, I love to swim, I competed in swimming, I swim in my backyard as much as I can when I'm back home and again, I never saw the role of Poseidon in here. So then they called back saying that I couldn't do young Zeus and then they offered me Poseidon and I'm like, "What? Where's Poseidon? Yeah! For sure!"

Q: Do you see this movie as a step up for you or a challenge to get out of "The Twilight Saga"?

Lutz: I'm very blessed with "The Saga" because I am a character that, yeah, people ask why I don't have as many lines as everyone else. Well, I can't change the books so my character's more of a presence. Even in "Eclipse," I have more action and fighting scenes than I do dialogue. I can't help that. I'm very fortunate and blessed that it still pushes my career up to the level where I'm not the face of the books, so I'm still, like floating, so the next thing I do, like the other independent movies I do and I'm very choosy with like "The Killing Game" is my own type of underground "Gladiator"/Jason Bourne type of movie. That's what I want to do so being a part of these huge commercial movies like "Twilight" opens up doors so I can be the star of other movies and really show my acting chops, show and pick what I want to do as an actor kind of molded my career.

So far, Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart and Kellan Lutz are confirmed

Twi-Hards with Comic-Con tickets in hand will hit the jackpot at the 2011 Comic-Con in San Diego, as several 'Twilight' stars will be holding down the usual panel in Hall H, but will also be there on other days to promote their individual films.

The 'Breaking Dawn' panel is on Thursday, July 21:

11:15-12:15 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1— Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek at the highly anticipated next chapter of The Twilight Saga. This is a must see for fans interested in the story's final chapters. You'll see exclusive footage from The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 1 and be treated to a filmmaker and cast Q&A session providing details on the first half of the epic two-part finale. Hall H

There still is no confirmation whether Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner will be at the 'Breaking Dawn' panel, but E! News' Mark Malkin seems sure they will be there:

While there’s been no official word of who will be on the panel, I’m told Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and director Bill Condon are set to be there.

No confirmation yet on Taylor Lautner's appearance to promote 'Abduction,' but The Lexicon has some pretty good scoop on a Thursday possibility:

Abduction Panel and signing official info via the Lionsgate studio TBA. Below is what we have from The Hollywood Reporter (I’d give them a 90% accuracy rate going on past Twilight connected experience):

“The news you’ve all been waiting for: Taylor Lautner is going to Comic-Con.

Sure, we all suspected he was going to be part of the Twilight: Breaking Dawn panel but Lautner will also be on hand to promote his action thriller Abduction. He will be at the Lionsgate booth (#3729 for those of you trying to map out the San Diego Convention Center floor) for a signing Thursday, July 21.”

At this time we don’t know if the signing with Taylor will come before or after the Breaking Dawn Panel. If we had to go with our gut instinct, we’d probably bet on after because there will likely be a press conference that he is involved in running before.

I'll update this post once I get a confirmation.

Kellan Lutz will be on hand Saturday, July 23, for the 'Immortals' panel:

1:00-2:00 Relativity Media: Immortals— Visionary director Tarsem Singh transports viewers in this epic tale of treachery, vengeance, and destiny in this stylish and visually spectacular 3D action adventure. The brutal and bloodthirsty King Hyperion and his murderous Heraklion (Mickey Rourke) rampage across Greece in search of the long lost Bow of Epirus. With the invincible Bow, the king will be able to overthrow the Gods of Olympus and become the undisputed master of his world. As village after village is obliterated, a stonemason named Theseus vows to avenge his mother, who was killed in one of Hyperion's brutal raids. When Theseus meets the Sybelline Oracle Phaedra, her disturbing visions of the young man's future convince her that he is the key to stopping the destruction. With her help, Theseus assembles a small band of followers and embraces his destiny in a final, desperate battle for the future of humanity. Stars Henry Cavill, Stephen Dorff, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz will participate in this panel alongside producers Gianni Nunnari and Mark Canton. Hall H

3:30-4:15 Universal Pictures: Snow White and the Huntsmen— Universal Pictures is bringing the stars and filmmakers of its epic action-adventure film based on the script Snow White and the Huntsman to Comic-Con. Scheduled to appear to discuss their roles in this breathtaking new vision of the legendary tale are Kristen Stewart (Twilight), Oscar winner Charlize Theron (Prometheus), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), and Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides). Director Rupert Sanders (Halo 3 campaign) and other filmmakers will also be on hand to reveal exclusive footage. Q&A session to follow. Hall H

In a twist, the movie is also serving as the producing debut of Stephenie Meyer, author of the best-selling vampire books The Twilight Saga. Meyer has acted as a producer on the Twilight adaptations but this will be her first time working on non-authored fare.

Meyer is producing and financing the pic though her Fickle Fish Films banner, which she runs with Meghan Hibbett. Moxie Pictures’ Gina Mingacci is also producing.

Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Seymour, Rupert Vansittart and James Callis make up the supporting cast of the rom-com, which centers on a single, thirtysomething woman with a secret obsession with Mr. Darcy -- as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. The obsession is ruining her love life because no real man can compare.

When she decides to spend her life savings on a trip to an English resort catering to Jane Austen-crazed women, the woman's fantasy of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman becomes more real than she could have imagined.

Feild is playing a Mr. Darcy actor at Austenland who develops true feelings for the American woman. Coolidge is playing a vain and crude vacationer.

Shannon Hale wrote the book on which the movie is based and co-wrote the script with Hess.

The movie begins shooting this week in the U.K. UTA is handling worldwide sales.

If you build it, they will come.

The Funny or Die peeps have produced a well-done video starring Taylor Lautner in a 'Field of Dreams'-inspired parody of the NFL lockout.

From the Funny or Die press release:

With the current NFL lockout jeopardizing this fall’s season, Lautner’s character turns his Iowa farm into a sanctuary for football greats Ray Lewis, Tony Gonzalez, Dwight Freeney, DeSean Jackson, Shawne Merriman, Antonio Cromartie and others.

Paying homage to the 1989 baseball classic Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner, the video features Ray Liotta as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and ends with a special appearance from the original film.

Shot last week in Thousand Oaks, Calif., this is the biggest online production in Funny Or Die’s four-year history. It is being featured today throughout ESPN programming.

He's only human, after all...

E! Online reports that Michael Welch may be one of the seven people on the planet not interested in seeing Bella and Edward finally consummate their love when 'Breaking Dawn, Part 1' opens in November:

"I have not seen [it]," Michael Welch told us of Robsten's Breaking Dawn bed scene at the Second Annual Thirst Project Gala in Beverly Hills. "And I'll be honest, I can't say I'm looking forward to it, because these are good friends of mine and I don't really want to see that."

For those of you who are excited to see Edward and Bella in the sack, Jackson Rathbone told us back in February just how steamy the scene will be.

The small town expects another uptick of visitors when 'Breaking Dawn' opens

MSNBC.com looks at the 'Twilight' glow that still keeps the tiny town of Forks, Washington, on the radar of the series' legions of fans:

With her daughter and two granddaughters in tow, JoAnne Clarke raced inside the visitor center in Forks, Wash., to grab a map for the town’s self-guided "Twilight" tour. Next came pictures taken with the cardboard cutouts of Edward, Bella and Jacob — characters made famous by the vampire-themed romance books written by Stephanie Meyer and the film adaptations."Nope, not interested," said Tom Clarke of Puyallup, Wash., arms crossed, refusing to go inside. "Just came along so I can spend time with my grandchildren."

"Typical 'Twilight' couple,” said Marcia Bingham, director of the Forks Chamber of Commerce, describing the Clarkes.

It's a scene that has played out countless times in this tiny community in western Washington state — ever since Meyer picked Forks and the rain-drenched forest of Olympic National Park as the setting for her books. Since 2006, Forks officials have counted more than 100,000 signatures in the register at the visitor center. "And that doesn't count all the fans who come to town but don't stop here for a map," said Mike Gurling, manager of the visitor information center.

Visitor statistics for 2011 are running a bit behind 2010, but Gurling said the town expects another "Twilight" uptick when the next movie in the series comes out, sometime in November.

I guess she's okay with big franchises after all...

Stewart stars opposite Chris Hemsworth in an impressive cast that includes Charlize Theron as the wicked queen. There has been plenty of buzz around the movie -- mostly involving the fact that another "Snow White" movie, starring Lily Collins and Armie Hammer, is currently in production.

"Huntsman" producer Joe Roth tells EW that his project will stand out because it's part of a bigger picture. "It's meant to be the first in a series of films," he says. "This story will end, but there will be questions remaining for these three characters." EW says Roth's take is reminiscent of "Lord of the Rings."

In this trilogy, Stewart's Snow White won't be the character we've come to know from the Disney incarnation. Roth says Stewart has "piss and vinegar" in her in this role. "She starts out not a damsel in distress, but innocent, and after 11 years of imprisonment by the Evil Queen, she escapes and learns the ways of a warrior in the woods," he explains.

EW should be wary of comparing a 'Snow White' trilogy to the 'Lord of the Rings,' Peter Jackson's critically-acclaimed trilogy which won a total of 17 Academy Awards. Having three(!) Snow White movies all scheduled for release in 2012/13 -- even though each one is supposedly quite different from the others -- will possibly tire the audience of this theme.

I was quite surprised to hear that Kristen Stewart has signed up for another franchise. She has often expressed her frustrations with living in a fish bowl because of her 'Twilight' fame. I had the impression that once the 'Twilight Saga' films were completed, she would do what she has always said she'd do: small, indie-style films.

Please let all of your readers know, and make sure to tell them to start camping on Wednesday to guarantee their seats inside of Hall H!

More info to come as the date approaches...

For those of you who have tickets (they are sold out) and have never done Comic Con before, Hall H is the big hall at Comic Con. The camping area is the far South end of the convention center where there is a large plaza. Fans sleep out to get a spot in Hall H (roughly holds 3,000 people). In our favor, Breaking Dawn is on Thursday, not considered a big day like Friday and Saturday. However whatever is in Hall H that day will all be vying for seats. The way it works is first come first serve to the seats. So camping out gives you a better shot at getting one, because people can sit in Hall H all day waiting for whatever the big show they want. Depending on how popular whatever is scheduled after the Twilight panel is will determine how intense that camp out crowd is.

The 'Twilight Saga' did not make an appearance at the 2010 Comic-Con, and there is no word yet if they will be at the 2012 one to promote 'Breaking Dawn, Part 2,' so who knows if this is the final appearance 'Twilight' makes at Comic-Con.